In Amazing Spider-Man #528, Peter had the opportunity to put his new abilities to the test and the results were...well…amazing. At issue's end, after a lengthy conversation with Mary Jane, Peter seemed to fully embrace the notion that he was given a second chance at living and that he must make the best of it.

In Amazing Spider-Man #529, Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, gives Peter Parker the new costume he designed for him. The costume has mesh webbing that can allow Peter to glide for short distances, heat resistant Kevlar micro-fibre that can resist small-calibre bullets, built-in fire, police and emergency scanner, audio and visual amplification, including infrared and ultra-violet, carbon filters in the mouth area to keep toxins out, and a short-range GPS microwave communication system, all routed through a computerized control system in the titanium chest piece. Finally, the costume is red and golden yellow. But with this costume comes somewhat of a price: Tony wants to hire Peter as his personal confident. After consulting with Mary Jane, Peter accepts the proposition and is then told by Tony to pack his bags because they are heading to Washington to face the Metahuman Investigations Committee of the United States Senate.

This is where this issue picks up.

ACT 1: Peter Parker meets Tony Stark at a private airport where they board the plane that will be taking them to Washington. Onboard the plane, Tony hands Peter his copy of the proposed Superhuman Registration Act so that he can get acquainted with it. As it is a very thick document, Tony gives him a quick rundown of its content. He explains that the Senate is under significant pressure to have super-powered individuals register their secret identity with the government or else face prosecution. Peter expresses his fear that the information could get in the wrong hands if not handled properly. Tony agrees and explains that the reason they are going to Washington is to try and talk them out of it.

ACT 2: A short time later, Peter and Tony land in Washington and they make their way to their hotel. After agreeing to meet Tony back in twenty minutes, Peter heads into his room to check out the latest version of his new costume, which was designed by Tony. A pre-recorded message by Tony explains how he adjusted the fabric of the costume so it uses metal nano-fiber that can disappear when not needed. This new fabric will allow Peter to wear the costume underneath his ordinary clothes and is set to respond to his neurochemical impulses; therefore, all he has to do is to think about the costume and it will appear. Tony continues explaining that the new fabric can also conform to other styles of the costumes Peter has worn over the years. As this is explained, Peter goes from being naked to wearing his new costume, his old red and blue one and then his black one. Tony then explains that he has saved the best part for last and tells Peter to think about reaching and picking up something. Peter does as told and suddenly, three spider-like arms reach out of the back of his costume and he is sent flying towards the ceiling. Tony explains that the waldoes can pick things up safely and look around corners, displaying the results in the costume's eyepieces, and they also have limited fighting capabilities, though they are fragile. Hanging from the ceiling, with the end of one of the waldoes, Peter smashes the tape recorder.

ACT 3: Peter and Tony climb into a limousine and make their way to the Senate. Unbeknownst to either of them, the Titanium Man is pointing his weapon at them from the rooftop of a nearby building.

ACT 4: A short time later, Tony and Peter face the Metahuman Investigations Committee of the United States Senate. Senator Whitmore has the floor and asks Tony what he thinks of the two hundred billion dollars in damages that is the direct result of numerous battles between superheroes and villains. Tony replies with the number forty-seven, which is the number of times superheroes have prevented the entire North American continent from being vaporized, conquered or nuked back into the stone age. Tony continues explaining that the Department of Defence's budget was 419 billion dollars for 2006 and that two hundred billion over sixty years is three hundred million per year, which is less than the Pentagon spent just this year on ceramic body armour. Senator Whitmore sarcastically congratulates Tony on his speech and asks if he thinks superheroes should be held accountable for the mistakes they have made over the years. Before Tony can answer, Senator Whitmore brings up the fact that doctors, airplane pilots and even cab drivers have to register to various organizations so that if they make a mistake, they can be held accountable for their actions. He then asks if Tony has an answer for that. Tony does not so Peter asks to speak. After being given the opportunity to speak, Peter explains that bad guys are bad guys most of the time but good guys are only good guys part-time. He goes on explaining that good guys have normal lives and loved ones who would be at terrible risk to these very same bad guys if their identities were revealed and, in those personal moments, they or their families could be harmed, because the bad guys know that if they wipe out or neutralize enough of the superheroes, there won’t be anyone who can stop them the next time the country is in jeopardy. Senator Whitmore replies that police officers, prosecutors, judges and even elected officials and their families face similar threats every day. Peter responds that he understands that but goes on saying that those people aspired to those jobs whereas a great deal of superheroes have never asked to have superpowers but once they had them, they knew that they had to do what was right in a system that would never allow them to operate openly. Senator Whitmore comments that, if what he says is true, then it probably would be simpler if they could register privately and securely with an agency that would allow them to do what he described openly and legally. He then goes on asking him that if, for instance, he were Ant-Man, wouldn't he feel comfortable knowing that the government and police were on his side rather than against him. Before Peter can answer, Whitmore goes on saying that Peter may have just made the most compelling case of all for just the kind of registration being debated today. Having said that, Whitmore suggests a ten-minute recess and slams the hammer down on the tribune.

ACT 5: Outside the Senate room, Peter apologizes to Tony for opening his mouth and Tony advises Peter to not volunteer any information unless asked for it, which is his suggestion on how to handle lawyers and politicians.

ACT 6: Peter calls Mary Jane to check up on her and to explain how his day has been going. While on the phone with her and staring out the window, his spider-sense starts to buzz, warning him of danger. Unbeknownst to him, the Titanium Man has him in his sight. Just then, Tony calls for him; the recess is over and they have to go back in.

ACT 7: Tony has the floor and explains that the system of anonymous powered individuals serving their country has worked well for over sixty years and changing that system now would only create a new and possibly more dangerous series of problems. Senator Dickerson asks Tony to further elaborate what he means by "dangerous". Tony replies that prohibition, for example, has not only ushered in the age of organized crime, it has turned ordinary citizens into law-breakers overnight. He then goes on saying that the same thing happened when young people fled the draft during the Vietnam War and that, if the act passes, then it will turn men and women who have served their countries as patriots but refuse to register into criminals. Senator Dickerson comments that it sounds like a threat and asks Tony which side he would be on if it passes. Tony replies that he has always served at the pleasure of his country and its leaders and that nothing in that sentence has changed or will ever change. Dickerson thanks him for the clarification and calls for recess until the next morning at 9h00 am.

ACT 8: Tony and Peter are making their way out of the Senate where they are accosted by journalists hungry for a scoop. Tony gives them a quick explanations for his being there and then walks away, closely followed by Peter. Just then, Peter's spider-sense kicks in, warning him of danger. Within seconds, he's tackled Tony to the ground, as a bullet ricochets off the wall behind them. The culprit behind the shot lands a few feet from them: the Titanium Man. Knowing full well that Tony is vulnerable without his armour, Peter tells him to go and secretly shoots webbing in the face of the Titanium Man's face. Tony uses that opportunity to get out of there while Peter switches to his Spider-Man costume by simply thinking about it. The Titanium Man rips the webbing off his face and tries to blast Spidey. Spidey leaps out of harm's way and lands on Titanium Man's back. The latter uses his jet-boots to slam Spidey into a nearby brick wall. He then punches Spidey off of him. Just then, U.S. Army soldiers arrive on the scene and radio to others that the Senate is under attack by Spider-Man and some other guy. Spidey is furious and punches the Titanium Man to show them that the two of them are not together. The soldiers couldn't care less and open fire. Spidey jumps out of harm's way while the bullets simply ricochet off of the Titanium Man who then takes flight. Wanting to finish this fight, Spidey snags the Titanium Man with his webbing and tags along for the ride.

To be continued.